ATH Móvil Business is free to download and has no monthly fee. You pay 2.25% on each payment received, with a $0.06 minimum, and your customer pays nothing extra. You can receive up to $10,000 per day. It is available only in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and you need an ATH card from a business account.
How much does ATH Móvil Business cost?
The app is free on iOS and Android and there is no monthly fee (ath.business). The only cost is the service fee: 2.25% on each payment received, with a $0.06 minimum. Your customer pays through ATH Móvil at no cost.
- Monthly fee: $0
- Fee per payment received: 2.25%, $0.06 minimum
- Cost to your customer: $0
- Limit for your business: up to $10,000 per day
- Limit per customer: up to $1,500 per day
Illustrative example: if you sell a $50 product, the fee is 2.25%, about $1.13, and you receive roughly $48.87. On a $2 sale, 2.25% would be only $0.045, so the $0.06 minimum applies.
Heads up: the terms of service say ATH may impose daily limits and additional fees at any time. Confirm the current figures in the app before calculating your margins.
How does it compare to Stripe?
Stripe charges 2.9% + $0.30 per card transaction on U.S. accounts. The two options don't exclude each other: ATH Móvil serves people paying from Puerto Rico, and Stripe covers cards, including customers in other countries. On the same $50 sale from the illustrative example, ATH Móvil charges about $1.13 and Stripe about $1.75 ($1.45 + $0.30).
- ATH Móvil Business: 2.25%, $0.06 minimum. Ideal if your customers are in Puerto Rico.
- Stripe: 2.9% + $0.30. Ideal for cards and customers outside the island.
If you want to see how to set up a payment link with each one, read the guide on how to get paid online with a payment link.
Who can open an account, and what do you need?
The service is for small and mid-sized businesses in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. It is not available in other countries (ATH Business). To open the account you need:
- An email address, which you verify with a code
- Business details: type, name, legal structure and mailing address
- Your merchant registration number and your identification number (Social Security number or EIN)
- An ATH card from a business account at a participating financial institution. You can register only one card
- An iPhone with iOS 15 or later, or an Android phone. There is no web version
Sources: ATH Business FAQ, ath.business and the App Store listing.
How do you open an ATH Móvil Business account?
ATH Business sums up the process in six steps that you do from your phone:
- Download the ATH Business app from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your email and verify it with the code you receive.
- Enter your business information.
- Choose your pATH, the short name that identifies your business (3 to 25 characters, starts with "/"). Customers find you with it in the "Pay a business" section of ATH Móvil.
- Register the ATH card where you want to receive payments.
- Wait for verification: ATH says 5 business days or less.
One detail for your bookkeeping: under the terms of service, the user authorizes Evertec to send the Puerto Rico Treasury Department (Hacienda) the 480.6G informative return with the payments received. Ask your accountant how to report them.
How do you connect ATH Móvil Business to your online store?
To get paid in a store or an app you need the ATH Móvil payment button: a button that lets the customer pay on your site and notifies you when the payment is complete. ATH says you need an active account, a registered card and your business's public and private keys, which you find in the app settings (source). You can also create payment links if you don't have a store yet (payment button).
You have two paths. The technical one is to follow ATH's guides for WooCommerce, API and other platforms. The simple one is to use a platform that already has the integration. Puny integrates ATH Móvil from the Solo plan, so you don't have to code anything. When you connect, follow the instructions Puny shows you and keep your ATH Business account information handy. On the Free plan you can also charge online, but with your own payment account, without the ATH Móvil integration.
Charging with ATH Móvil in Puny is available from the Solo plan. Plan prices can change, so check the Puny pricing page before you decide. If you'd rather start without a store, the guide on how to accept online payments from your mobile phone walks you through it step by step.
And if you charge in person?
With Puny Pay and its Cobro libre (also from the Solo plan) you charge from your phone, without buying or renting a card machine. You type in the amount or pick products from your inventory, and Puny generates a payment link that you show or send to the customer. On the payment page, the customer chooses how to pay, including ATH Móvil. It's useful at fairs, pop-ups, house calls or food trucks.
What happens with refunds?
You can refund any payment, in full or in part, from the app. A payment can be refunded only once, and you must enter your account password (source). ATH does not say on its page whether the 2.25% fee is returned on a refund. Plan your margin assuming it isn't.
Frequently asked questions about ATH Móvil Business
How much does ATH Móvil Business cost?
Downloading the app and opening an account is free, and there is no monthly fee. The service fee is 2.25% on each payment received, with a $0.06 minimum. Your customer pays nothing extra to pay you with ATH Móvil.
What do I need to open an ATH Móvil Business account?
You need an email address, your business details (type, name, legal structure, merchant registration number and mailing address) and an ATH card from a business account at a participating financial institution. ATH says verification takes 5 business days or less.
Does ATH Móvil Business work outside Puerto Rico?
No. According to the ATH Business FAQ page, the service is available only in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you sell to customers in other countries, you need a second payment method, such as cards.
How much money can I receive per day?
A business can receive up to $10,000 per day, and each customer can send up to $1,500 per day, according to ATH Business. The terms of service state that limits can change, so confirm the current figures in the app or at ath.business/preguntas.
Can a payment be refunded?
Yes. You can refund a payment in full or in part, once per payment, using your account password. ATH does not say on its page whether the 2.25% fee is returned on a refund, so don't assume it is.
Can I connect ATH Móvil Business to my Puny store?
Yes, from the Solo plan. On the Free plan you can charge online with your own payment account, but ATH Móvil in Puny starts at Solo. Prices change, so check Puny's pricing page.
Can I accept ATH Móvil in person with Puny?
Yes, from the Solo plan. With Puny Pay and Cobro libre, you build the sale from your phone and generate a payment link; on the payment page, your customer can pay with ATH Móvil.
Is it worth turning on in your store?
If your customers are in Puerto Rico, offering ATH Móvil Business is simple and its fee is low. ATH Móvil presents itself as the preferred method of more than 2 million people. Pair it with a card option so you don't lose people paying from outside the island. When you're ready, create your store on Puny and, with the Solo plan, connect your ATH Móvil Business account.
